The most read stories on East Idaho News in 2025

Whether you liked or hated it, you can’t say 2025 was boring!

We’ve compiled a list of the most-clicked-on local and regional stories on EastIdahoNews.com for the year. Keep in mind that these aren’t necessarily the most significant or hard-hitting pieces of journalism — they are simply the stories that were viewed most by readers from east Idaho and the world.

Some of the entries on this list may come as a surprise. 2025 was good at that.

Click on the article title to read it.

10. Truck driver flown to hospital after crashing into bridge pillar on I-15; section of interstate remains closed

A Jerome man pulling an empty milk tanker crashed into a pillar of the Riverton Road overpass on Interstate 15 near Blackfoot in October. This prompted Idaho State Police to reroute traffic in both directions until crews could stabilize the bridge.

And you know what’s crazy?

This isn’t the first story of trucks damaging an I-15 overpass in the Blackfoot area this year. In August, two semi-trucks hauling bulldozers struck the Porterville Road Bridge, causing damage.

There must be a lesson here somewhere …

9. Fans angry at football team entering field during band performance; school officials issue statement

During an Idaho Falls High School football game in September, football players ran into the field during the marching band’s halftime performance, damaging color guard flags. Apologies were issued by the head coach, superintendent, principal and football players themselves.

“In the days that followed, something remarkable happened,” District 91 Superintendent Karla LaOrange said in a statement. “The football players and head coach met with the band. The football program ordered new flags to replace the ones that were damaged, and each player offered a sincere and heartfelt apology. The band members, in turn, showed tremendous courage and compassion by meeting with the players, forgiving them, and moving forward together.

“This week, these incredible students taught us all an important lesson about forgiveness, compassion and second chances.”

Some of us could use a review of that lesson.

8. Former child actor with local ties reflects on film career, says it wasn’t life he wanted

You may know former child actor Stewart Petersen as Billy Coleman in the 1974 film “Where the Red Fern Grows.” But why haven’t we seen him in movies for decades? Check out this interview from It’s Worth Mentioning to find out.

7. School closures and delays for Monday, Jan. 20

Frigid temperatures led to school closures and delays all across eastern Idaho on that day. Stories like this remind us that students can indeed be too cool for school.

6. Man gored by bison in Yellowstone National Park

A Florida man approached a bison too closely in Yellowstone National Park in May, and the predictable occurred.

(A similar incident happened the next month.)

We’re all out of fluffy cow jokes at the moment, so we’ll just say that the first syllable of “wildlife” should be a clue.

5. Rigby woman’s detached head fused to her spine during surgery. Locals hosting fundraiser on her behalf

“For the first time in five and a half years, Emily Farmer literally has her head on straight.”

After a car crash in 2019 and numerous doctor visits, Farmer found out 50% of her skull was not attached to her body. She said it felt like she had a bobble head.

A surgery resolved a lot of her issues, but as of March, Farmer still had a long road of recovery to go.

4. 7 people dead following fiery crash in Island Park

Seven people died in a fiery crash on U.S. Highway 20 near Henrys Lake in Island Park in May after a pickup truck and a passenger van collided.

You can find the names of the people killed in the crash here.

3. Former BYU baseball starter sentenced after sexually assaulting young girl for 5 years

Candon Dean Dahle, 22, a former senior baseball pitcher at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, from Blackfoot, was sentenced to five to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting a girl when she was between 7 and 12.

The victim addressed the court just hours after her first day of high school in August.

This was a gut-wrenching story, and if you ever think about abusing a child, sexually or otherwise, don’t. Do you really want us to put your name in the news? Do you really want us to describe the horror you caused a child to feel? We’d be happy if we never had to cover a story like this ever again.

2. Utah pharmacist reacts to NBA YoungBoy’s presidential pardon

A Utah pharmacist was upset that the rap star who admitted to breaking into his pharmacy was let off the hook by President Trump in May.

In 2023, at least 16 pharmacies across Utah and other states were broken into. Phil Cowley, a Utah pharmacist, says each of the stores lost between $15,000 and $30,000. Cowley said replacing the windows in his pharmacy alone “took my whole month’s worth of earnings from me.”

NBA YoungBoy, also known as Kentrell Gaulden, pleaded guilty to the crimes.

Trump gave no explanation why he pardoned NBA YoungBoy.

“What a terrible lesson to teach your boys,” Cowley said.

RELATED | Louisiana rapper looking to convert to LDS Church after moving to Salt Lake City

1. Daybell saga continues

For the past several years, stories about the Daybell case have been extremely popular on EastIdahoNews.com — so much so that we only rank Daybell stories as a group instead of individual articles on these lists!

To summarize: Chad Daybell is on death row for his involvement in the deaths of Lori Daybell’s children, Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow, and his previous wife, Tammy Daybell. Lori was also convicted in those deaths, and was convicted in Arizona this year for conspiracy to murder her former husband, Charles Vallow, and her involvement in the failed plot to kill her former nephew-in-law, Brandon Boudreaux. Lori is serving life in prison — but she isn’t admitting guilt.

“If I were accountable for these crimes, I would acknowledge and let you know how sorry I was,” she said at her sentencing in July.

Here are a few of the notable Daybell stories of 2025:

• Lori Vallow Daybell found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder in Arizona (Charles Vallow case)
• COURTROOM INSIDER | Opening statements, Brandon Boudreaux and four other witnesses take the stand
• Lori Vallow Daybell says in jailhouse interview that she never hurt anyone and will be freed
• Jury finds Lori Daybell guilty of conspiracy to commit murder in her 3rd trial (Brandon Boudreaux case)
• Lori Daybell gets life in prison for 2 Arizona murder conspiracy convictions

Although there will almost certainly be stories on appeals and analyses of the trials and crimes, 2026 may be the year the Daybell saga goes quiet, which will probably come as a relief to many of you (and us), since we’ve been following it since 2019.

We hope 2026 will be all kittens and butterflies.